Giving civil society a seat at the table The participation of civil society organisations is central to the EITI process. Today, around 500 representatives from civil society are members of the EITI Association or national multi-stakeholder groups. They play an important role in holding governments and companies accountable and provide essential support through advocacy, training, monitoring and research. The origins of the EITI can be traced back to a campaign led by a civil society group, Global Witness, that called for greater transparency from governments and companies on how they manage their natural resource wealth. The first EITI Board meeting, held in New York in 2006, included representatives from Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Global Witness, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) and Transparency International. Since then, civil society representatives have played a central role in the governance of the EITI, serving on the EITI Board and advocating for fresh requirements in the EITI Standard. In addition to their role in governance at a global level, civil society organisations have also been closely involved in the implementation of the EITI at the national level. They have participated on national multi-stakeholder groups; contributed to the development of EITI Reports; conducted independent verification of company and government disclosures; and engaged in advocacy and outreach to promote greater transparency and accountability in the extractive industries. Yet the free, independent and effective engagement of media and civil society actors continues to be a major challenge in some countries. In some cases, conflict and political instability have undermined the hard-earned gains that EITI implementation has helped to deliver. Through Validation, the EITI’s quality assurance mechanism, the EITI Board assesses whether there is an enabling environment for civil society to engage in the EITI process, and stipulates if corrective actions must be taken to address any breaches to the Protocol: Participation of civil society. Protocol: Participation of civil society When the first EITI Standard was launched in 2013, a new section on civil society participation was introduced in response to feedback from civil society organisations, who felt that their role in the EITI process needed to be strengthened. This new protocol recognised that civil society participation is crucial to the success of the EITI, and included specific requirements and guidance to ensure that civil society can engage meaningfully, effectively and without fear of reprisal. Ten years later, the civil society protocol continues to be the cornerstone of the EITI’s commitment to ensuring the active and meaningful participation of civil society in natural resource governance. By providing a framework for civil society engagement, the protocol has helped to foster trust and collaboration between government, industry and civil society actors, and has contributed to more inclusive and sustainable resource governance in EITI member countries around the world. Safeguarding civic space 12 EITI Anniversary Report